It is commonly estimated that about 80% of Americans will see a health care professional at some point in their lives for back problems. While many of these problems can be corrected by exercise and other non-invasive procedures, sometimes surgery is the proscribed corrective measure. A spinal fusion may be the most appropriate treatment for patients suffering from injuries to spinal vertebrae, protrusion and degeneration of the cushioning disc between vertebrae (sometimes called slipped disc or herniated disc), abnormal curvatures (such as scoliosis or kyphosis), and a weak or unstable spine caused by infection or tumor. Spinal fusion has become a common method of correcting spinal problems with about 285,000 spinal fusions performed in 2001.
The spinal column is comprised of twenty six interlocking vertebrae separated by discs. Many times it is the motion between the vertebrae that is the source of the problem or severe pain in the patient. Spinal fusion involves the “welding” of two or more these vertebrae into a single fused bone to limit that motion. After removal of the disc material, the welding is normally done by placing a spacer between the vertebrae and then grafting a bone segment to the vertebrae. The bone for the graft is either taken from elsewhere in the patient (autogenous) or from a bone bank usually consisting of cadaver bone (allograft). Immediate internal bracing, external bracing, and/or casting is then used to support the region until full healing can take place.